Matt Erickson news

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Phoenix - Milwaukee Brewers infielder Matt Erickson feels a little more confident and a lot more comfortable than he did a year ago.

"Last spring, nobody knew who I was," Erickson said. "None of the coaches had ever seen me play. That was kind of strange. Nobody knew who I was.

"(Third base coach) Rich Donnelly was a coach in Florida when I signed there, but he was in the big leagues and I was just starting out. I remember meeting him when I got called over (to big-league camp), but all I did then was sit and watch."

Erickson, who grew up and still resides in Appleton, Wis., opened eyes last year with his scrappy play. When camp ended, he was assigned to Class AAA Indianapolis, where he hit .270 with 27 doubles, two homers, 34 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases in 122 games. He was promoted to Milwaukee on July 9 and saw action in four games, including July 17, when he picked up his first big-league hit off Chicago Cubs legend Greg Maddux.

A day after that first big-league hit, Erickson was returned to Indianapolis and was removed from the Brewers' 40-man roster in late September. As a six-year free agent, he could have signed with any other club. On Oct. 27, he chose to return to the Brewers.

"I talked with (general manager) Doug Melvin and he was real honest," Erickson said. "He didn't swing it one way or the other. He said I graded out really well with the coaches and that if I did come back there would be some opportunity.

"Last year, they gave me a bit of a look (in the majors) so I thought there was a chance. Then, I saw that they got rid of (Craig) Counsell and traded (Keith) Ginter and they really didn't get any middle infielders back. That's probably what persuaded me the most."

Brewers manager Ned Yost said he was glad that Erickson decided to return.

"He's a solid little defensive player," Yost said. "He probably would have played in the big leagues more for us last year if he hadn't been a left-handed hitter. We were so left-handed last year as a team.

"He had a good spring last year. There were some (coaches and executives) who wanted to keep him coming out of camp. But, (Trent) Durrington had a good spring, too, and he hits right-handed, so we went with him."

Although J.J. Hardy and Bill Hall are expected to compete for the starting job at short, the Brewers may need a backup.